One of the dangers inherent in flying aircraft, is the possibility of encountering obstacles, such as, but not limited to, terrain obstacles. In fact, controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) is one of the more significant causes of aircraft accidents today. The aircraft industry has taken steps to alleviate the problem, such as improving and enhancing the presentation of terrain information to a flight crew to ensure that they are alerted to conditions that would lead to CFIT.
Much of the work by the aircraft industry has been focused on providing alerts to the pilot of approaching terrain. Such information may be in the form of advisories, alerts (aural and visual), and map presentations. Even with such information, the flight crew is not conventionally provided with information to help them decide which path or heading to take to avoid the terrain once a terrain warning or caution has occurred. With conventional systems, most certified systems assume that the pilot will climb at full power and max angle of attack to avoid terrain. However, it is acknowledged that this may not always result in the shortest path to clear space or to avoid any hazards. Often a slight turn to the left or right in conjunction with a climb ends up in achieving terrain clearance more quickly.
With conventional systems there are no agreed methods to provide lateral guidance for post alert terrain avoidance maneuvers. The reason that such guidance is not provided is that this may present certain risks and certification risks should the pilots follow incorrect guidance provided by the system. For currently certified terrain awareness and warning systems (TAWS), when an alert occurs, TAWS provides an indication of either (1) only terrain that is directly in the path of the aircraft, or (2) all terrain around the aircraft that is above the aircraft altitude. No distinction is conventionally made between current threat and possible near future terrain threats.
Accordingly, there is a need for a terrain maneuver advisory system and method in which indication of terrain that is directly in front of the aircraft is provided to the pilot. Further, there is a need for system and method that provides an indication of the terrain in front of the aircraft along with better situational awareness of the terrain around the aircraft. Further still, there is a need for a maneuver advisory envelope to be provided on a map display for a pilot to determine a reasonable maneuver for the aircraft.
It would be desirable to provide a system and/or method that provides one or more of these or other advantageous features. Other features and advantages will be made apparent from the present specification. The teachings disclosed extend to those embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the aforementioned needs.